Throughout its production, the Miura received constant updates, first with the P400 S model, and then best of the breed, the P400SV. The S saw an alleged 20 horsepower increase, better brakes, and chassis stiffening, and was built from late 1968 to 1971. The SV, which debuted at the 1971 Geneva Auto Show, had modified bodywork-mostly distinguished by the headlamps' lack of 'eyelashes.' The Miura SV on exhibit-essentially an S with SV bodywork-is likely the first production prototype presented at Geneva.

This car was given production number 576 and was selected to serve as the rolling test-bed for the SV series. The car was hand-built at Sant'Agata, implementing many of the lessons learned from years of production and development. Developing the latest Mirua included strengthening the chassis, revamping the rear suspension, installing vented disc brakes and breathing on the engine to deliver staggering performance. The Bertone coachwork was restyled to cope with the gains in performance to address deficiencies noted in the preceding P400 and P400 S models. The new design had aggressively flared rear arches, and the 'eyelash' headlamps were deleted for a more purposeful appearance. On the inside, there were subtle modifications to make the cockpit a more civilized environment.

4578 was finished in Fly Yellow and upholstered in black leather. It was put on display at the 1971 Geneva Auto Show were it gave onlookers a glimpse at the SV upgrades that would later typify this model. This car is different front later production versions by such differences as front headlight surrounds, and interior details such as the ashtray.

The car spent the early part of its life in Italy prior to coming to the United States. It was given a restoration in the 2000s in preparation for the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, where it helped honor the 45th anniversary of Lamborghini.

In 2011, the car was offered for sale at the Gooding & Company auction held in Amelia Island, Florida. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of 1,705,000 including buyer's premium.

The world was introduced to the Lamborghini Miura chassis at the 1965 Turin Motor Show. Requests to provide a body the car came from many Italian coachbuilders, but Lamborghini chose Bertone. The prototype P400 Miura appeared less than a year later at the 1966 Geneva show. It is painted in an orange-red color with a black interior. The rear window was made of Plexiglas and was void of the louvers found on the production cars.

Unconventionally, the engine was placed behind the cockpit and on-top of the gearbox, and shared the same oil sump. The front and rear sections of the car wear constructed from aluminum while the mid-section was sheet metal.

Three more prototypes soon followed and by 1967 the Miura was ready for retail sale. They carried a relatively high price tag at $20,000. Still, 745 examples were ordered. In 1968, Lamborghini introduced the P400S Miura. The 'S' model brought cosmetic improvements to both the interior and exterior. The engine was tuned by reshaping the combustion chambers, fitting four Weber 40IDL-3L carburetors and higher lift cams, resulting in an increase in horsepower. Power rose from 350 to 370. Between 1968 and 1971, a total of 140 examples of the P400S Miura models were produced.

The final version of the Miura was the SV. Additional exterior modifications were made, such as slightly flared rear bodywork to house the wider Pirelli Cinturato tires. Different camshaft timing, bigger valves and a reworked carburetor resulted in an additional 15 horsepower. The interior was much improved, with leather and grab handles.

This 1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV is chassis number 4882. It was completed on November 29th of 1971 and was production number 627. When it left the factory it had been painted Fly Yellow with a black leather interior. It was delivered to Carpinelli in Rome who sold it to a gentleman in Switzerland.

The second owner, a California based individual, took possession of the car in 1978. Ownership later changed to Miles Espensen. While in Espensen's care, the car was stripped to bare metal and painted in black. Shortly after the re-painting, it was sold to Paul Forbes. Forbes had the silver wheels and black rocker panels finished with the correct Miura SV gold accent color.

A Japan-based collector purchased the car in 1992. By this point in history, the car had traveled a mere 36,000 kilometers. The car remained in Japan until 2007 when it was purchased by its current owner. It currently has 38,533 km on its odometer.

In 2007 it was brought to the Gooding & Company auction held in Pebble Beach, CA where it was estimated to sell for $690,000 - $825,000. Bidding went slightly higher than the estimates, settling at $869,000 including buyer's premium. The lot was sold.By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2010

The 1971 Lamborghini Miura SV with chassis number 4926 was shown at the 2005 Italiano Concorso where it was awarded a First in Class. It was shown at the 2007 Los Angeles Concours d'Elegance where it was awarded another First Place and Best Post War & Most Elegant award. It is seen here at the 2007 Le Belle Macchine d ItaliaBy Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2010

Lamborghini's influence has certainly helped shape and define the supercar arena. Their vehicles are inspiring, memorable, exotic, and offer enviable performance. Lamborghini's Miura, despite its impressive performance, was never proven and campaigned on the world's race tracks by the factory or clients. Although it had been designed for street use, Bob Wallace (Lamborghini's chief test driver and road development engineer), felt it would be a formidable contender against Ferrari and Porsche. Determined to prove this belief, he set out produce a special race-ready Miura that could help bring the company into motorsport. The resulting vehicle was called the Jota. It was built in 1970 as a one-off test bed vehicle and as a contender for FIA's Appendix J race category (hence Jota). Wallace selected the new-for-1971 SV-spec engine with split-sump lubrication for the project. The compression ratio was raised slightly and tuned to produce 440 horsepower at 8,000 RPM. The chassis was stiffened, the rear track widened, the fenders were flared to fit wider rear tires, and the Miura's 'eyebrows' disappeared. The fuel tanks were repositioned from the nose to the door sills resulting in better weight balance. The spare tire was also relocated to just behind the engine. Inside the vehicle, it was completely stripped of all non-essential materials. The windows were replaced with Plexiglas and a single windshield wiper was installed. One-millimeter-thick chrome-moly steel pipes were welded to the ladder chassis, and aluminum sheet skin was riveted over the chassis, forming an aluminum semi-monocoque shell. The entire body was formed from aluminum, whereas the standard Miruas had roofs constructed from steel. Upon completion, the special Jola weighed 1,784.5 pounds and sat four inches lower than the road-going Miura.

Upon completion, the car was put through rigorous and extensive testing, including a 20,000 mile road test. The SV made its introduced at the Geneva Salon in 1971. After the show, Ferruccio Lamborghini scheduled the car to be scrapped, as he had no interest in competition. Luckily, it was saved and sold to Alfredo Belpone in Bresica, Italy, who retained all of its racing modifications. Since the car needed a production certificate, it was given chassis number 5084, an SV-continuation number. Before being sent to Belpone, the car was restored and its racing upgrades were preserved. Shortly after receiving the car, it was crashed and burned on a closed autostrada while being tested. The original (and intended to be only) Jota was never rebuilt.

Several customers requested similar modifications be added to their cars. Five (and possibly as many as seven) Miura SVJs were built. Inside, they retained their original interior and creature comforts. SVJ modifications included the engine tuning, exhaust, suspension and brake cooling upgrades.

One of the cars to receive the Jota specifications upgrades was chassis number 4892. It was constructed by the factory in July of 1971 as a Miura SV that was finished in white with a blue interior. It was sold new to Dr. Alcide, of Rome. It is not known when the upgrades were performed; there is a letter issued by Lamborghini in 1974 listed it as a 'P400 Miura SV Mod. Jota' at that time.

Chassis number 4892 was given engine modifications including a wet-sump engine. The car was refinished red at that time and imported to Japan by Tomita Automobile Inc. It was cared by two more owners before Kazuo Takahashi restored it in the late 1980s. It came to the United States in 2007 and was shown at the 2007 William K. Vanderbilt Jr. Concours d'Elegance in Newport, Rhode Island, where it earned the Vanderbilt Award. A short time later, the car was given a complete restoration which took two years and cost $225,000. Upon completion, the car was painted in its current shade of Rosso Granda.

The current caretaker acquired the car in 2010.By Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2015

This Miura is an 'S' variant fitted with a four-liter alloy V12 quad-cam engine with Weber carburetors and 370 horsepower. There is a five-speed manual gearbox and a sheet steel platform chassis with aluminum body panels. There are four-wheel disc brakes and an independent front and rear suspension system comprised of A-arms, coil springs with tubular shocks and anti-roll bars.

The 'S' version of the Miura, meaning 'spinto' or tuned, had updated brakes, a more powerful engine, and many other enhancements. It was faster and more luxuriously appointed, capable of racing from zero-to-sixty in just 5.5 seconds with top speed of 177 miles per hour. In April of 1970, Road & Track magazine declared the Miura as 'An exercise in automotive art.'

This example was completed on February 10th of 1970 and is production number 461 of the 765 total Miura models produced. 338 examples were the P400 S models. It is an original, low mileage example that has just 23,500 miles since new. The current owner purchased the car in 1997.

In 2009, this Lamborghini Miura P400 S was offered for sale at the Automobiles of Arizona auction presented by RM Auctions. It was estimated to sell for $400,000 - $450,000. The lot was sold for a high bid of $308,000 including buyer's premium.By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2009

This Lamborghini Miura S left the factory on November 21st of 1970, one of the second series models. The original owner was Michael Ballastare who ordered it from the US Lamborghini distributor Alberto Pedretti. Mr. Ballastare specified that the car was to be painted Amaranto (dark red) to match his Ferrari 275 GTB. He then traveled to Italy to accept delivery of his Miura.

Mr. Ballastare kept the car until April of 1997 when it was acquired by Tom Shaugnhessy of Costa Mesa, California. Mr. Shaugnhessy gave the car a restoration that lasted five years. The engine and transmission were rebuilt and the body work was done under the direction of former Lamborghini factory engineer Bob Wallace. Many of the improvements of the SV models were incorporated into this car, including reinforcing the floor pan, as well as separating the gearbox and engine sumps for improved mechanical longevity.

In 2010, this car was offered for sale at the 2010 Pebble Beach auction presented by Gooding & Company. The car was estimated to sell for $500,000 - $650,000. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $533,500 inclusive of buyer's premium.By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2010

This Miura is number 609 of 760 built (chassis number 4832). It features a 375 horsepower V12 engine, mounted transversely, with integral 5-speed transaxle. This is a very unique Miura as this was when the model year (S to SV) was occurring and you can see that the factory used some components from each model.

As Lamborghini's flagship car, the Miura received periodic updates and remained in production until 1972, and was not replaced in the automaker's lineup until the Countach entered production in 1974.

This rare Lamborghini Miura was first sold to a friend of Ferrucio Lamborghini with additional features, including the limited-slip differential that was only included on ten Miura SVs. The SV is the most powerful Miura model with different cam timing and upgraded carburetors. One hundred fifty SVs were built and can be distinguished by the lack of 'eyelashes' around the headlamps as well as the different taillights. This car was garaged in 1981 and remained there for over thirty years. It was acquired by its new owner and brought back to life by the Lamborghini factory.

This Muira S is a very late S and retains the most prominent styling feature of the P400 model. The Miura was designed by Marcell Gandini and the design was executed by Bertone. A mid -mounted transverse V12 engine provides power, this car was monumental in its influence on the direction of all future Lamborghini models. One of the more defining features of this design, the headlight eyebrows can be seen. As a late production S it also received many of the SV model upgrades, such as 9-inch rear wheels and air conditioning.

While under development, the car was referred to as the P400 chassis. The 'P' meaning Posteriore on the engine placement and the 400 referencing its 4 liter displacement. It is interesting to note that in order to shorten the wheelbase for the chassis, it was decided to share the lubrication system of the engine and gearbox in order to compact the drive-train.

This Muira S was purchased from the estate of David Walters, a collector from Beverly Hills, CA. The car spent much of its time on the island of Kauai in Hawaii where the Mr. Walters was a real estate developer. The car was consigned to Canepa Motorcars in Scotts Valley, CA. A friend of the current owner saw this Muira S on display at Canepa's and it was acquired over the phone by the current owner.

Completed on September 22, 1971, this Miura SV was built during the first year of SV production, which saw a total production of 70 models. It was delivered on October 8th wearing Giallo Miura and a black interior, to German Lamborghini importer H. Hahn. From there, it is believed that the car travelled directly to Japan, where it remained for 3 decades and was later featured in a 2004 issue of Japanese magazine Supercars for a tract test.

After the publication of the article, the car found its way to a new owner, who commissioned a full restoration. The car was painted orange, but unfortunately, the paint was improperly cured and the finish was ruined as a result. At that point, the restoration was halted, and in 2007, the car was sold 'as is' to a Rancho Santa Fe collector, who decided to continue with the restoration.

The car has black leather seats with blue inserts and a black vinyl dash. It is finished in yellow that appears almost orange.

The car's subsequent full rebuild took more than a year to complete. Just 1,000 kilometers have been put on the odometer since that time.

This Miura has resided with its current owner in Toronto since 2010.By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2014

The Miura was first show to the public at the November 1965 Turin Auto Show. At the time, it did not have a body. It was just a rolling-chassis. The design was mid-engined, very revolutionary at the time. Bertone was chosen to body the vehicle. Nuccio Bertone gave the project to Marcello Gandini. In early 1966 the Bertone body and the chassis designed by Giampaolo Dallara were assembled into one unit. In completed form, it was show to the public at the 1966 Geneva Auto Show and dubbed the Miura. The name coming from a breed of Spanish fighting bulls.

The vehicle was instantly popular with demand overshadowing the supply. Ferrucio Lamborghini had originally planned the Miura to be a low production, flagship vehicle with production set to around 30 models. The demand for the vehicle eventually changed the plan for the vehicle and throughout its lifespan, three series of the Miura were produced, the P400, S, and the SV. Each series brought with it mechanical and aesthetical changes through either fixed problems from the prior series or brought about new developmental improvements.

The P400 was the first series, the 'P' stood for Posteriore, the location of the engine. The 400 represented the engine size, or 4.0 liters. The four-liter engine was capable of producing 350 horsepower to the rear wheels. The spot-welded chassis was made from steel and the steering was a rack-and-pinion unit built and designed by Lamborghini. The front and rear hoods were both 'clamshell' design. There were two small compartments in the rear allowing a small amount of luggage or storage space.

Since the vehicle had been initially intended to be a temporary vehicle, it was poorly assembled and lacked quality. Another major problem was the lack of materials available. The builders of the vehicle rarely had the parts and resources they needed to keep up with demand. As time progressed, so did the quality.

Production began in March of 1967 and offered at a price of nearly $20,000 US dollars with 108 units being constructed. The Miura S series appeared in December of 1968. It was debuted to the public at the 1968 Turin Auto Show. The 'S' stood for 'Spinto' meaning 'Pushed' or 'Tuned'. Horsepower had been increased to 370, thanks in part through the use of a new combustion chamber and larger intakes. The later 'S' series models were given ventilated disc brakes and a modified rear suspension. Air conditioning was available for an extra cost.

In March of 1971, the final version of the Miura, the SV, was displayed at the Geneva Auto Show. The SV was the pinnacle of performance in regards to the Miura series. The rear suspension received modifications including a wider track. Wider tires were placed increasing the performance and handling. The headlights, turn signals, bumper and tail lights received changes. A carburetor change and larger intakes brought the horsepower rating to 385. During its production lifespan only 142 examples of the Miura SV were created. The acronym 'SV' represented 'Sprint Veloce'.

750 examples of the Miuras were built, the last being constructed on October 12, 1973. Production would have continued but Lamborghini was preparing to introduce its successor, the Countach. Since Lamborghini was a small shop, it could only handle the production of one model.By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2009

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